Effects of Cooperative Learning on Academic Outcomes in a Diverse Laboratory Science Undergraduate Course

Capstone Project presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for The Master of Education Degree in the College of Education and Human Service Professions, University of Minnesota Duluth by Nicole E. Zahnle, May 2016. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signatures present.The purpose of this study was to examine the addition of cooperative learning techniques in an undergraduate laboratory science course and determine if there would be any effect on academic outcomes and cooperative learning behaviors specifically comparing traditional and non-traditional students. The participants were a diverse group of traditional and non-traditional male and female students from a large Midwestern university. Quantitative methods were used to evaluate the effect cooperative learning educational methods had on academic outcomes in medical laboratory students. Additionally, the study examined if academic outcomes and cooperative learning behaviors exhibited would differ based on student status, traditional and non-traditional. Cooperative learning techniques were shown to significantly increase academic outcomes in all students, but no significant difference in academic outcomes were noted based on student status. The study showed more cooperative behaviors were exhibited by traditional than non-traditional students. The goal of implementing cooperative learning techniques was to increase academic outcomes and cooperative behaviors in all medical laboratory science students which was demonstrated in this study.College of Education and Human Service Professions, University of Minnesota Dulut